The fine is the largest work-safety penalty ever levied by a provincial court.

Toronto-based Vale Canada Ltd., which owns and operates several mines in the Sudbury area, has been fined more than $1 million after two workers were fatally injured in June 2011.

The nickel mining giant pleaded guilty to three charges related to mine safety and was fined $350,000 for each count for a total fine of more than $1 million — the highest ever levied by a court in Ontario for contraventions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Vale confirmed in a statement that it had agreed to plead guilty to the three charges. On top of the fine, it will pay a required 25 per cent surcharge into a fund that benefits victims of crime.

An investigation by the Ministry of Labour discovered there had been a build-up of wet muck, which was due to the company not dealing with water issues in the mine.

The two workers were working the night shift at an ore pass of the Stobie mine and were in the process of transferring muck, a combination of broken rock and ore, when the accident happened.

The ministry said although there was a protected area for the workers, the men had to stand in front of the gate, which meant they were fully exposed.

There was a sudden and uncontrolled release of muck, sand and water that erupted through a transfer gate and buried one worker and hit the other.

Before his death, Chenier warned Vale in an email that the company “should not be dumping or blasting this ore pass until the water situation is under control.”

In 2012, United Steelworkers Local 6500 called for a public inquiry into the deaths because of widespread neglect of safety.

Sixty workers were on the night shift when the two miners were killed. The others were brought to the surface and grief counsellors were brought in.

It took rescuers roughly 80 minutes to reach the location. The two miners were pronounced dead at the scene.

The Ministry of Labour issued nine work orders — including two work stoppages — to Vale immediately after the workers' deaths.

Vale said it has devoted “significant efforts and resources” to understanding what happened and implementing recommendations made since the accident.

“Nothing we can say or do can ever turn back the clock and bring Jason and Jordan back, but we will continue to honor their memories through our unwavering focus on safety and reaching zero harm in our workplace,” it said.

Vale has six mines, a mill, a smelter and a refinery in Sudbury.

With files from The Canadian Press and Reuters News Agency

More on thestar.com

We value respectful and thoughtful discussion. Readers are encouraged to flag comments that fail to meet the standards outlined in our
Community Code of Conduct.
For further information, including our legal guidelines, please see our full website
Terms and Conditions.